A Moment of Warmth
by Amethyst Arbiter's Scribe
Summary: One cold day when it's just the two of them, Rin finds a way to get Haru to thaw a little. Super short young!Haru/young!Rin friendshipfic! Fluff and cuteness... yup. Reviews welcome! :)


**A/N: **So I have discovered a beautiful new fandom gem by the name of _Free! Iwatobi Swim Club. _My take on it? Come for the fanservice and animation (i.e. delicious shirtless boys and just the right amount of yaoi fangirl imagination fuel for those looking for such things), stay for the characters and story. xDDD Seriously, this story is, in my opinion, well-written and fantastic, full of solid themes and good characterization. If you haven't yet, I highly recommend checking it out. xD

Aaanyways. This little oneshot/drabble-y thing happens to be the first fic I've written for _Free! _And if you guys like it, it won't be the last. (It probably won't be the last either way, but your feedback encourages me to keep posting! xD; )

This is just a short little ficlet about young!Rin and young!Haru that takes place during their time in swim club together. Random ideas are random. xDD

Disclaimer: I don't own Free!... if I did, a second season would have been announced before the first ended. xD;

* * *

**_A Moment of Warmth_**

A _Free! Iwatobi Swim Club _fanfic by Amethyst Arbiter's Scribe

* * *

The crisp late-winter air was a sharp contrast to the moist, heated interior of the natatorium, and Rin Matsuoka shivered – just a little – as the breeze pushed the damp ends of his hair into his face. Tugging his hood up over his head, his attention strayed to the raven-haired boy beside him.

Though they'd spent a lot of time together recently because of tournament season, this was the first time the two of them were walking out of Iwatobi Swimming Club without anyone else. Usually, Nagisa and Makoto were there too, with Nagisa clamoring about something and Makoto trying to get Haru to go along with whatever it was. But today, Nagisa's mother had picked him up early, and Makoto was home with a cold. So, it was just Rin and Haru.

Haru was silent, of course, his breath forming little clouds of white, his brilliant blue eyes reflecting a distance that Rin had never been completely comfortable with. Likely as not, the kid was thinking about the water again..

Rin rolled his eyes. All the rumors said that Nanase-kun was as obsessed with swimming as he was talented at it; but Rin knew the truth. Haru was obsessed with _water. _He loved anything to do with it – so much so that he seemed to think of it more like a person than a natural element. Having known the quiet boy for a while now, Rin had to admit that in a sort of bizarre way, it made sense. When he thought about it, Haru had a stillness, strength, and aesthetic about him that was, in fact, oddly reminiscent of the very water he delighted in. Rin was not much for metaphorical thinking, however; so he decided to break the silence.

"Ah, guess what! I beat my record in butterfly today," he announced proudly, stretching. "That puts me at the top of our class!"

Haru's eyes flickered briefly to him. He gave the tiniest of nods, neither slowing or increasing his pace as they walked toward the mouth of the lot.

Not having expected an answer, Rin continued, casually tucking his hands behind his head. "Y'know, Nanase, you're fast. I'd like to see _you _try butterfly sometime!"

Haru faced forward again, wearing his signature pensive frown. "I only swim freestyle."

"Haaahh.." Rin gave an overdramatic sigh, shaking his head. "Duh. But you _can _swim butterfly for freestyle if you want, you know."

Haru's only response was to deepen his frown, pushing his hands further into the pockets of his coat.

Rin jutted his chin out in frustration, jogging a few steps to catch up with his friend's more brisk stride. The wind buffeted against them as they reached the end of the fence, and Rin saw the other boy wince.

"Ugh, it's so cold, isn't it.." Rin bemoaned, folding his arms about himself. Haru angled his head toward the ground, a motion that may or may not have been an acknowledgment.

"Hey!" Rin stopped short, face lighting up. "A new coffee shop just opened down the street! We should go check it out!"

Haru raised his eyebrows almost imperceptibly.. but then turned his head. "I don't like coffee."

Rin cast his gaze to the grayish sky. "Hot chocolate, then." He grinned, linking elbows with the unsuspecting boy and starting off to the left. "C'mon, let's get something warm to drink!"

Haru didn't seem particularly pleased, but he allowed Rin to tug him along.

* * *

"Wow!"

The two boys were seated at a cafe table, across from one another – Rin beaming down at the steaming, generously-sized treat he had just purchased, and Haru gazing absently out the window.

Rin wrapped both hands around the cup and took several eager gulps, relishing the warmth that flowed all the way to his fingers and toes. It was quite possibly the best hot chocolate he'd ever tried – rich and frothy, yet not too sweet, and topped with just the right amount of whipped cream.

"Ah~!" he exclaimed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and looking up to grin at Haru. "This is amazing! You have to try it, Nanase."

A subtle change of expression crossed Haru's features; and, to Rin's surprise, he reached to take the cup. "...Fine."

Without further comment, he lifted the drink to his lips and took a long, careful sip, closing his eyes. If Rin wasn't mistaken, he seemed to enjoy it; for he tilted it up a ways, color suffusing his pale cheeks.

As he set the cup back down, Rin was ready to crow in victory; but as he caught sight of Haru's face, he forgot all about that.

Haru opened his mouth, presumably to give his opinion on the beverage; but closed it again as Rin burst out laughing.

A perfect dollop of whipped cream graced the tip of the other boy's nose; which, combined with the glow of his cheeks and the shimmer of surprise in his eyes, created an irresistibly adorable picture.

"Ahhh, Haru!" Unable to contain his amusement, Rin leaned across the table and ran his finger down Haru's nose, transferring the cream to his fingertip.

Startled, Haru jerked back, scrunching up his face and rubbing the back of his sleeve against his nose. Rin took one look at his expression, then started snickering again.

"Good, isn't it?" he chortled, nonchalantly sticking his finger in his mouth.

Haru glared at him. "If you wanted whipped cream, there's this," he intoned, pushing the cup back toward the redhead, snubbing his nose against the back of his wrist.

Rin smirked, revealing his pointed teeth. "I know," he said lazily, propping his chin in his hand. "But where's the fun in that?"

Haru blinked, then dropped his gaze in a bashful scowl; but, as Rin began chuckling again, silently picked up the cup and took another sip.

~End~


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